U R I A H H E E P
O U T S I D E R
RELEASE DATE 9th JUNE 2014
Uriah Heep, one of the pivotal hard rock groups to emerge from England in the late 1960s, returnn with ‘Outsider’, the band's 24th studio album and the first since 2011’s critically acclaimed ‘Into The Wild’.
“We are very proud of our history,” says founder/guitarist Mick Box, “but it is equally important to keep producing new material. This new album, ‘Outsider’, is very much a rock album in true 'Heep' style. It shows that we still have the same passion and energy for our music that we have always had.”
From the opening chords of the album’s hard driving rocker, ‘Speed of Sound’, to the more introspective closer, ‘Say Goodbye’, ‘Outsider’ proves that Uriah Heep has remained a musical powerhouse, and one that can effectively balance its legendary sound with a distinctly contemporary approach. The record, which was produced by Mike Paxman (Asia, Status Quo), also introduces bassist Dave Rimmer, who joined the band in the summer of 2013 following the untimely death of long time member Trevor Bolder.
In a curious twist of fate, the UK release date of ‘Outsider’ coincides with the birthdays of both Box and his late friend Bolder, with Box paying tribute in stating that “we lost a world class bass player, singer, songwriter and friend. While Trevor was ill, he wanted us to continue working, so we used a bass player called Dave Rimmer, who Trevor approved of. It was only natural that Dave carried on with the band.”
The release of ‘Outsider’ coincides with a Scandinavian tour and a number of summer festival appearances in mainland Europe, following which Uriah Heep will launch a world tour – including UK dates - as the band promotes the new album to an eager international audience.
Formed in London in 1969 by guitarist Mick Box and late singer David Byron as ‘Spice’, the group evolved into Uriah Heep (the name was taken from a character in the Charles Dickens novel ‘David Copperfield’) when they began conceptualising their first record. The album, ‘Very ‘eavy, Very ‘umble’, launched the band’s distinct sound in 1970, one that was built around layered harmony vocals, swirling keyboards, and heavy guitar riffs. Current lead singer Bernie Shaw and keyboardist Phil Lanzon have been ever present since the mid 1980s, while drummer Russell Gilbrook joined in 2007. Mick Box has remained a constant presence throughout.
The band's repertoire features hits over five decades from the 1970’s through to the present day including tracks such as ‘Gypsy’, ‘Easy Livin’’, ‘July Morning’, ‘Look At Yourself’, ‘Stealin’’ and ‘Lady in Black’, which went to no.1 in Germany on three different occasions and once stayed there for six months. They have gone on to sell 40 million records, and have toured globally for five decades, visiting no less than 56 countries, headlining numerous festivals and arena tours, including being the first western rock band to play Russia, in 1987. Founder Mick Box has remained throughout.
Official Website
www.uriah-heep.com
www.uriah-heep.com
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